Tag: nyumba

Numbering Houses

By Simon

When is a number not a number? Let’s find out.

Nyumba

The Swahili word nymba [ˈɲu.ᵐbɑ] looks and sounds a bit like the English word number, but actually means house.

It comes from Proto-Bantu *njʊ̀mbá (house) and is related to words such as nyumba (house) in Chichewa, Mwani and Tumbuka, and enyumba (house) in Kabwa [source].

Swahili words derived from nyumba include: nyumbani (home, at home, in the house), chumba (room) and kijumba (small house, cottage), which are diminutives of nyumba, jumba (mansion, large building), an augmentative of nyumba, uchumba (courtship, engagement), mchumba (lover, fiancé(e), partner), nyumba ya uzazi (womb, uterus, lit. “birth room”), nyumba ya dawa (pharmacy, drugstore), and unyumba (marital relations, married life) [source].

The word namba also exists in Swahili, means number, and was borrowed from English. It is a form of nambari (number), and appears in expressions such as namba hasi (negative number), sio na namba (numberless), and nambari ya simu (phone number) [source].




Roomy Houses

By Simon

One of the Swahili words I learnt recently is chumba (room). I wondered where it comes from and what other words are related to it. Let’s find out.

Tanzania Village House

Chumba means room, chamber, cabin or cloakroom, and is a diminutive of nyumba [ˈɲu.ᵐbɑ] (house, apartment), which comes from Proto-Bantu *njʊ̀mbá (house) [source].

Related words include

  • chumba cha kulia = dining room
  • chumba cha kulalia = bedroom
  • kichumba = small room
  • jumba = mansion, large building
  • kijumba = cottage, small house
  • uchumba = courtship, engagement
  • -chumbisha = to get engaged to be married (of a man)
  • -chumbishwa = to get engaged to be married (of a woman)
  • mchumba = financé(e), lover, partner
  • wachumba = spouse, couple
  • unyumba = married life, marital relations
  • nyumba ya uzazi = womb, uterus (“house of parenthood”)
  • nyumbani = at home, in the house

Other room-related words in Swahili include:

  • bafu (bath, bathtub, bathroom), which was borrowed from English bath
  • darasa (classroom, class period, lesson), which was borrowed from Arabic دَرْس (dars – study, studies, lesson, class)
  • msalani (bathroom, toilet), a locative of msala (private chamber, retreat, bathroom, toilet), from Arabic مُصَلَّى (muṣallan – place of prayer, prayer room/hall)
  • faragha (privacy, private chamber, retreat, opportunity), which was borrowed from Arabic فَرَاغ (farāḡ – empty space)
  • sebule (living room), which was borrowed from Arabic (?)

Here are a few house- and home-related proverbs and sayings in Swahili:

  • Nyumba njema si mlango.
    A good house isn’t judged by the door.
  • Kinywa ni jumba la maneno.
    The mouth is a house of words.
  • Nyumba ya udongo haihimili kishindo.
    A house made of mud cannot withstand a strong wind.
  • Mkate mkavu wa nyumbani ni bora kuliko nyama ya shuwa ya pengine.
    A piece of dry bread from home is better than a roasted piece of meat from someone else’s home.

Sources: https://mhariri.com/kamusi/learn-swahili/proverbs-in-swahili-and-their-translations-and-meanings/, https://pristinetrails.com/blog/swahili-proverbs/

The more Swahili I learn, the more interesting it gets.

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